Bowling alley amusement apparatus



Oct. 12, 1937. D. -REZNICK 2,095,513

BOWLING ALLEY AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Feb. 20, 1936 awucnkoz i3 1,, 2yH DAVID REZNIEK Patented Oct. 12, 1937 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICEBOWLING ALLEY AMUSEMENT APPARATUS David Reznick, Chicago, 111.

Application February 20, 1936, Serial No. 64,955

,5 l u 6 Claims.

poses.

Further, it is an object to provide a game apparatus in which the pinswhen hit will be dropped down or be pulled down until their heads areflush with the playing floor or play-way to close the holes throughwhich the pins fall and. provide an unbroken play-way for the next ball.

Further, it is an object to provide a game apparatus of the characterstated in which the pins may be reset to playing position by a simpledevice operable fromthe front of the table.

Again, it is an object to provide a bowling game apparatus in which theballs are impelled by a trigger action and may be directed over theplayway by means under control of the operator.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part generally pointed outhereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, the inventionstillfurther resides in those novel details of construction, combinationand b arrangementof parts, all of which will be first fully described inthe following detailed description, then be pointed out in the appendedclaims,

reference being had'to the accompanying drawing, in which:

35 Figure 1 is a top plan view of the illustrated embodiment of theinvention.

Figure 2 is a central Vertical longitudinal section on the line 2-2 ofFigure l.

M Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 3--3 of 40 Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

In the drawing, which like numerals of reference indicate like parts inall of the figures, i represents the table or box which may be sup-'ported on legs 2 and in which is contained the play-way or floor 3.Surrounding the play-way or floor and extending from the front of the 50box, is a ball projecting lane comp-rising the first section 4 thatextends from the front of the box toward the back, the first reversingbend 5, the

return way or second section 6 of the ball pro- I jecting lane and thesecond reversing bend I, 55 which is provided with a springy section 8that 'and 'on a foot whennot in use.

may be controlled by the operator to direct the balls as desired. 1

The controlling may be efiected by means of a bell crank direction lever9 pivotally mounted at it and having a heel H which is engaged by the '5control rod 52. The rod 12 may be provided with a back stop is and anoperator knob M. The end of the lever 9 engages the spring section 8 ofthe wall of the ball projecting lane. As the lever is rocked on itspivot the end of the member 8 will be 10 moved in one direction or theother as desired. The lever 9 is provided with a guard 43 to preventreturn balls getting past the lever.

Between the ball projecting lane and the play- Way 3 is a ditch 15 atthe sides and remote or 15 back end of the apparatus. At the front endof the apparatus the ditch is provided with laterals it that communicatewith a spent ball trap l3. The lateral it at the right of the apparatuscom municates with the trap I8 through a suitable 1 tunnel H. The trap18 is provided with a suitable trap-door '19 that may be released by acoin mechanism (not shown) of any approved construction and suitablemeans (not shown) may be provided for conveying the released balls tothe trigger mechanism into position to be played. As the coin mechanismand. the ball placing mechanism are Well known and. are no part of thepres ent invention, a further description thereof is thought to beunnecessary.

20 indicates the trigger device which also may be of any of the usualconstructions used in apparatus of this general character, and. 2|indicates the coin slide of the coin mechanism.

The play-way or floor 3 at the far or back end of the board is providedwith a set of pin holes 22 arranged in the usual bowling pin settingorder. Beneath the floor 3 adjacent the holes 22 are suitable supports23 carrying a pin stop plate 26 having holes 21 through which the guiderods 40 of the pins pass. 5

A pin resetting plate 28 is operated from the front of the apparatus as,for example, by means of a lever 29 pivoted at 3! to one of thestandards 23. The plate 28 has ears 30 carrying a rollerpin 25 thatpasses through a hole in the lever 29 and forms a pivotal connectionbetween the plate and lever. The plate 28 rests on the lever 29 Thelever 29 may be operated by a pull rod 32 connected to it at 33.

Each pin comprises a pin proper 3% having a head 35 of a diameter to fitthe holes 22 with a sliding fit. In addition to the pin proper 34 thereis a neck 36which connects the pin proper with the pin base 33 and whichprovides a shoulder 31 by means of which the pin is held in its playingposition over the edge of the hole 22, as indicated.

A spring 39 connects the base 38 with the plate 26 so that when the pinis struck by a. ball and is disengaged from the edge of the plate itwill drop or be pulled down through the hole 22 until its head 35 restswith its upper surface flush with the play-way or floor 3. In order toreset the pins it is only necessary to pull the rod 32 when the lifter28 will move the pins upwardly again, the springs 39 serving to ensurethat the pins will again hook over the edges of the floor at the holes22.

In order to play the game the pins are set into playing position and aball 4| is brought into register with the trigger mechanism 20. Thetrigger mechanism is then operated to propel the ball along the ballprojecting lane 456'l8. The operator manipulates the knob l4 so as todirect the ball when it leaves the member 8 over the play-way toward thedesired pin or pins. As the pins are struck they will drop down as abovedescribed. 7

The machine may be left as an open. game or if desired it may beprovided with a transparent top 42.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, it is thought the construction, operation and advan-- tages ofthe invention will be clear to those skilled in the art, and I wish itunderstood that slight changes in the details of construction,combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a bowling game, a game apparatus having a floor with a play-waythat is provided with a set of pin holes, a set of pins having heads tofill said holes and lie with their tops flush with the play-way when thepins are dropped into the holes, means mounted below the pins to limitthe drop of the pins to a position where their tops Will lie flush withthe play-way, said pins including a pin proper, a base and a neckconnecting the base with the pin proper to provide a shoulder by whichthe pin may rest on the playefloor to hold the pin in playing position,each pin including means cooperating with the drop limiting means toguide the pins in droppingjand means cooperative with the pins forlifting the dropped pins for resetting said pins.

2. A bowling game apparatus comprising in combination a floor with aplay-way and a set of pin holes, a set of pins projectible through saidpin holes, said pins being designed to drop through said pin holes whenstruck by a projectile, means to limit the drop of the pins to aposition whereby they will act as closures for the pin holes, said pinseach including a pin proper, a base and a neck connecting the base andpin proper to provide a shoulder for the purposes described, and meansto guide the pins in dropping.

3. A bowling game apparatus comprising in combination a floor with aplay-way and a set of pin holes, a set of pins projectible through saidpin holes, said pins being designed to drop through said pinholes whenstruck by a projectile, means to limit the drop of the pins to aposition whereby they will act as closures for the pin holes, said pinseach including a pin proper, a base and a neck connecting the base andpin proper to provide a shoulder for the purposes described, means toguide the pins in dropping, and means for resetting said pins.

4. A bowling game apparatus comprising in combination a floor having aplaying end and including a play-way surrounded by a ditch for receivingand returning spent balls to the playing end of the apparatus, saidapparatus including a ball projecting lane surrounding said ditch, meansto project a ball along said lane, said lane having an exit end,operator controlled means for directing the playing ball over theplay-way, said play-way being provided with a set of pin holes, pinsheld in said holes in playing position and means to effect a drop ofsaid pins into said holes when the pins are struck, means to arrest thedropping of the pins to a position where their tops will lie flush withthe play-way and close said holes and means to reset said pins.

5. A bowling game apparatus comprising in combination a floor having aplaying end and including a play-way surrounded by a ditch for receivingand returning spent balls to the playing end of the apparatus, saidapparatus including a ball projecting lane surrounding said ditch,

means to project a ball along said lane, said lane having an exit end,operator controlled means for directing the playing ball over theplay-way, said play-way being provided with a set of pin holes, pinsheld in said holes in playing position and means to effect a drop ofsaid pins into said holes when the pins are struck, means to arrest thedropping of the pins to a position where their tops will lie flush withthe play-way and close said holes, means to reset said pins, said pinsincluding shoulders to hook over the edge of the board at the pin holes,and said pin dropping means including springs which serve also to assistin holding the pins in the playing position until they are struck.

6. A bowling game apparatus comprising in combination a floor having aplaying end and including a play-way surrounded by a ditch for receivingand returning spent balls to the playing end of the apparatus, saidapparatus including a ball projecting lane surrounding said ditch, meansto project a ball along said lane, said lane having an exit end,operator controlled means for directing the playing ball over theplay-way, said play-way being provided with a set of pin holes, pinsheld in said holes in playing position and means to effect a drop ofsaid pins into said holes when the pins are struck, means to arrest thedropping of the pins to a position where their tops will lie flush withthe play-way and close said holes, means to reset said pins, said pinsincluding shoulders to hook over the edge of the board at the pin holes,said pin dropping means including springs which serve also to assist inholding the pins in the playing position until they are struck, saidpins having guide rods and said resetting means including a lift devicefor engaging said rods for the purposes described.

DAVID REZNICK.

